"There is no stoppage in the matter of the kind you mean. Whether I or your own self tell Lady Mabel the facts of the case matters very little. But when the truth becomes known, she will not marry you, and Cannington, who is my best friend, will not marry Gertrude. He would not even admire her, unless I gave him permission, since he knows that she is my promised wife." "Who told him that?" asked Monk wrathfully. "I did. It is true. Gertrude is going to marry me, and you can do your best to prevent it. And another thing, Mr. Monk, or Marr, or whatever you choose to call yourself, you had better confess the truth at once. Weston is going to set up his airship factory at Burwain, and Lady Mabel is bound to go down and see him. You will understand the necessity to retreat gracefully from your position before you are kicked out. As to Striver----" "What about Striver?" sneered the little villain, who was desperately pale by this time, for my words had gone home. "He won't give in. You have got the better of me, but Striver will get the better of you." I snapped my fingers, as Mr. Monk had done himself a few minutes previously. "That for Mr. Striver!" I said contemptuously. "Do you think I care for a country bumpkin such as he is. Gertrude has promised to be my wife, so the rest matters little." Monk nursed his chin on his hand, and looked remarkably sullen. After a couple of minutes' silence he looked up. "See here, I shall make a bargain with you. If I withdraw from Lady Mabel's society and court her no more, will you hold your tongue?" "No. Lady Denham must learn the truth. You are at her house under false pretences." "As you choose!" he shrugged, but his eyes glittered wickedly behind the _pince-nez_, "but if you will hold your tongue, for, say a fortnight, until I can retreat gracefully from my position by feigning to make a trip to the Continent, I will offer no opposition to your marriage with Gertrude." "Oh, I have no wish to be hard on you, Mr. Monk. Your opposition to my marriage doesn't matter, since Gertrude will think very little of you when she learns the truth. I shall hold my tongue for a fortnight, and you must give up Lady Denham's acquaintance altogether: also Lady Mabel's and Lord Cannington's acquaintance." "And you'll let me tell Gertrude myself," he entreated, now beaten. "Yes," said I, after a pause, "I shall let you tell Gertrude yourself." "Thank you," said Monk in a low tone, "and in return I advise you to beware of Striver. You have conquered me: you won't conquer him," and he smiled in a most evil manner. CHAPTER XVI. STRIVER'S THREAT